Water sport vehicle



Filed Nov. 7, 1960 i ig villi INVENTOR ARTHUR M. GUNDERSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofi ice agizaaii Patented Feb. 4, 1954 3,120,011 WATER SPORT VEHECLE Arthur M. Gunderson, Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to The Easiridge Qornpany, 1nd, Lincoln, Nebn, a corporation of Nebraska Filed Nov. 7, 1961), Ser. No. 67,766 8 Claims. (Cl. 9--310) This invention relates to a vehicle to be towed across water by a speed boat and to be ridden by a person for sport.

For many persons, water skiing has become a sport involving thrills from both speed and spills. It will be recognized that a certain amount of skill and muscular coordination is necessary in water skiing and that there are many persons who do not have the necessary skill, muscular coordination and know-how in order to water ski and thereby experience some or all of the thrills attendant therewith. For instance, many people have the skill to maneuver on skis if they could initially get into motion, however, these same people may not have the necessary strength and coordination to get started on the skiis from a standstill as is required.

Because of the limitations imposed on certain persons by virtue of age, skill and muscular coordination, conventional water skis have many disadvantages for these people.

With these comments in mind, it is to the elimination of these and other disadvantages to which the present invention is directed, along with the inclusion therein of other novel and desirable features.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved water vehicle of simple and inexpensive construction and operation to be towed behind a speed boat and to be ridden by a person for sport.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel water vehicle to be towed behind a boat so as to safely carry persons who are too young or too old or otherwise incapable of riding conventional water skis.

It is another object of my invention to provide for towing behind a boat, a new and novel water vehicle which is highly stable and which may be maneuvered to at least a limited extent from left to right with respect to the path of the boat.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like refrence characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken at 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detail section view taken at 4- 1 in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a detail section view taken at 55 in FIG. 3.

One form of the present invention is shown in the drawings and is described herein.

The water vehicle is indicated in general by numeral 11 and includes a pair of runners 11 and 12 which have the shape of typical water skis arid are turned upwardly at their tips 13. The ski-type runners 11 and 12 are positioned in side-by-side or juxtaposed relation, but are oriented at an oblique angle with respect to each other so as to slightly diverge in a forward direction. The skitype runners both lie substantially fiat and in the same general plane, but may be tipped slightly as seen in FIG. 3 so that the outer edges of the ski-type runners are dis posed very slightly above the inner edges thereof.

The runners of vehicle are also provided with a rigid bridging structure which has opposite portions 14a and 14b which are in upstanding relation with respect to the runners 11 and 12. The bridging structure is generally semi-circular in shape as seen in FIG. 3 and is constructed of a highly buoyant, but rugged and rigid material such as styrofoam, and the bridging structure may have a fiberglass shell or outer lamina 15 thereon so as to present a smooth and comfortable surface 16 which defines a seat. If desired, the bridging structure may have beads or ribs 17 formed on the upper exterior thereof to roughly define a saddle area therebetween.

The bridging structure 14 is rigidly secured to the skitype runners 11 and 12 in such a fashion as to prevent any wobbling or other. movement of the runners with respect to the bridge structure when the vehicle It is in motion. Preferably the bridging structure 14 is removable from the ski-type runners 11, and in the form shown, the bridging structure 14 is fastened to the ski-type run ners 11 and 12 by a pair of rigid metal plates 18 aflixed by screws 13a to the lower edges of the bridging structure 14 and defining a plurality of keyhole-type openings 19 therein with the narrow neck portion thereof extending in a forward direction toward the tips 13 of the runners. Pins or screws 2% with heads thereon are afiixed to the ski-type runners 11 and 12 and are of such a size that the heads thereof will slip through the enlarged portion of the keyhole slots 19 and then the skis are pulled slightly forwardly with respect to the bridging structure so as to pull the pins 20 into the narrow neck portion of the slot and thereby securely hold the bridging structure to the runners. Of course other suitable and quickly demountable apparatus may be employed for releasably,

but rigidly afiixing the bridging structure 14 to the runners 11 and 12.

The towing cable C which will normally be attached to the speed boat, is secured to eyes 21 at an intermediate portion of the tow rope 22, the opposite end portions 22a and 22b of which extend rearwardly over pulleys 23 and 24 respectively and terminate at wooden handles 25 and 26. The pulleys 23 and 24 are mounted in suitable brackets 23a and 24a respectively and are secured by fittings 27 to the ski-type runners 11 and 12 adjacent the forward end thereof.

It will be noted that each of the end portions 22a and 22b of the rope is provided with an obstruction 28 at a position just rearwardly of the pulleys Z3 and 24. The obstructions 28 may take any of a number of forms and may be a large knot in the rope. In any event, the obstructions or knots 2d prevents the rear ends of the rope from passing forwardly over the pulleys 23 and 24. It will, however, be recognized that by pulling on one or the other of handles 25 and 26, the corresponding end portion of the rope may be moved rearwardly over the pulley so as to shorten that portion of the rope between the pulley and the eyes 21.

The ski-type runners 11 and 12 are provided with foot rests or abutments 29 disposed between the forward end of the bridging structure and the tips 13.

In the use and operation of the vehicle 10, a person will straddle the bridging area and sit on the seat area 16 thereof with his feet resting on the respective ski-type runners 11 and 12 and bearing forwardly against the foot rests 29. As the boat pulls him along at a substantial rate of speed, the ski-type runners 11 and 12 will glide over the surface of the water. The person riding on the vehicle will hold the handles 25 and 26 in his right and left hands respectively so as to adequately balance him self from falling off. The obstructions or knots 28 will normally bear against the brackets 23a and 24a of the pulleys so that there is no particular tension on the rear end portions or handles of the tow rope, and if a person has a good sense of balance the portions of the rope rearwardly of the pulley may actually be slack.

If the person desires to maneuver the vehicle, or steer it from left to right, or vice versa, one or the other of handles or 25 is pulled rearwardly so as to pull the rope rearwardly over the corresponding pulley and thereby move the obstruction or knot 28 rearwardly from the pulley. It should be noted that if the handle 25 is pulled rearwardly, so as to shorten the length of the end 22a of the rope between the pulley 23 and the eye 21, the vehicle will veer to the left, and likewise, if the left hand handle 26 is pulled rearwardly so as to move the rope over the corresponding pulley 24, then the vehicle will steer to the right.

It has also been found that by merely shifting the persons weight on the vehicle from one side to another and without pulling the handles 25 or 26 rearwardly, some maneuverability and steering of the vehicle can be obtained. However, the steering can be effected more easily and with more certainty by pulling the handles 25 and 26 rearwardly.

It should be noted that when the vehicle 10 is in motion it is highly stable, and in fact, an adult person may stand on one of the ski-type runners 11 or 12 Without causing the vehicle to tip over.

To get started with this vehicle, it has been found desirable for the person to substantially lie on the bridging structure 14 with his chest and shoulders above the bridging structure and with his feet and legs extending toward the rear of the ski-type runners. In this position, the vehicle will immediately rise to the surface of the water when a forward pull is exerted by the boat to the cable C. After the vehicle is moving along the surface of the water and while the speed is fairly minimum, the person may easily manipulate himself up into a sitting position on the bridging structure 14.

By removal of the bridging structure 14 from the skitype runners 11 and 12, the runners may be fitted with conventional foot-holding apparatus and may be employed as conventional water skis.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A water vehicle to be ridden by a person and to be towed by a speed boat, comprising a pair of elongate, juxtaposed ski-type runners substantially in the same plane and diverging with respect to each other in a for- Ward direction, a rigid bridging structure rigidly interconnecting said runners, and foot-engaging means on said runners and preventing forward movement of a persons feet thcrealong.

2. A water vehicle to be ridden by a person and towed by a speed boat, comprising a pair of elongate, juxtaposed ski-type runners substantially in the same plane and diverging with respect to each other in a forward direction, an upstanding rigid bridging structure rigidly interconnecting said runners and defining a seat at a position above the runners, and foot-engaging means on said runners and positioned forwardly of the bridging structure and preventing movement of a persons feet therealong.

3. A water vehicle to be ridden by a person and towed behind a speed boat, comprising a pair of elongate, juxtaposed ski-type runners substantially in the same plane and diverging with respect to each otier in a forward direction, a rigid bridging structure rigidly interconnecting said runners and defining a seat thereon, footengaging means on said runners and preventing forward movement of a persons feet therealong, means adjacent the front end of said runners for attaching a tow rope to the runners, and handle-defining rope means attached to the runners adjacent the front ends thereof and extending rearwardly into proximity with the seat.

4. A water vehicle to be ridden by a person and towed by a speed boat, comprising a pair of elongate, juxtaposed ski-type runners substantially in the same plane and diverging with respect to each other in a forward direction, an upstanding rigid bridging structure rigidly interconnecting said runners and defining a seat at a position above the runners, foot-engaging means on the runners and positioned forwardly of the bridging structure to prevent forward movement of a persons feet along the runners, and means adjacent the front end of the runners for attaching a tow rope to the runners.

5. A water vehicle to be ridden by a person and towed by a speed boat, comprising a pair of elongate juxtaposed ski-type runners substantially in the same plane and diverging with respect to each other in a forward direction, a rigid bridging structure rigidly interconnecting said runners, foot-engaging means on said runners and precnting forward movement of a persons feet the ealong, a pulley on each of the runners adjacent the front end thereof, a towing rope with an intermediate portion adjacent the forward tips of the runners and adapted for connection to the towing cable of the boat, and said rope also having a pair of opposite rear ends extending rearwardly through said pulleys to be manually held by a person apported on the vehicle.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5 wherein said bridging structure is disposed in upstanding relation with respect to said ski-type runners and also defining a seat to support the person.

7. A water vehicle to be ridden by a person, and towed behind a speed boat, comprising a pair of elongate, juxtaposed slii-type runners substantially in the same plane and diverging with respect to each other in a forward direction, a rigid bridging structure rigidly interconnecting said runners, foot-engaging means on said runners and disposed forwardly of said bridging structure to prevent forward movement of a persons feet therealong, a pulley on each runner adjacent the front end thereof, a tow rope having an intermediate portion adjacent the front tips of the runners and defining an eye to which the towing cable of the boat may be secured in a predetermined position, said rope having a pair of opposite rear ends extending rearwardly through said pulleys to be manually held and to be manipulated to cause steering or maneuvering of the vehicle.

8. A water vehicle to be ridden by a person and towed by a seed boat, comprising a pair of elongate, juxtaposed ski-type runners substantially in the same plane and diverging with respect to each other in a forward direction, a rigid bridging structure rigidly interconnecting said runners, a foot-engaging means on said runners and disposed forwardly of said bridging structure to prevent forward movement of a persons feet along the runners, a pulley on each runner adjacent the front end thereof, a towing rope having an intermediate portion adjacent the front tips of the runners and defining a stationary eye for attaching the towing cable of the boat in predetermined position, said towing rope also having opposite rear ends extending rearwardly through said pulleys to be manually held, and said rear ends of the rope having obstructions disposed rearwardly of the pulley and preventing forward running of the rope over the pulleys, whereby manipulation of the rear ends of the towing rope will cause maneuvering or steering of the vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,568,549 Kluttz Sept. 18, 1951 2,910,708 Albright Nov. 3, 1959 2,950,923 Forney Aug. 30, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 957,385 France Mar. 29, 1950 

1. A WATER VEHICLE TO BE RIDDEN BY A PERSON AND TO BE TOWED BY A SPEED BOAT, COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATE, JUXTAPOSED SKI-TYPE RUNNERS SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SAME PLANE AND DIVERGING WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, A RIGID BRIDGING STRUCTURE RIGIDLY INTERCONNECTING SAID RUNNERS, AND FOOT-ENGAGING MEANS ON SAID RUNNERS AND PREVENTING FORWARD MOVEMENT OF A PERSON''S FEET THEREALONG. 